Sexy Husband and I were musing the other, that this is the first December in many many years, that he has not been on tour. Usually I can count on one hand how many days he is home in December. But this year, with the Studio in full force, he turned down gigs, for home. How wonderful! Yet even though he is home waaay more this month than usual, for some reason, it still just feels like life is SO busy and we have to be extremely productive for all 18hours of the day we are awake, to keep on top of things. Not good. Our conclusion is that time is like money, in that if you make more money, you always find a way to spend more money and feel like there’s not enough of it. If you have more time, very rarely do we manage it so well as to include enough time for reflection and pause.

And reflection and pause is so important. We need to stop, and breathe, and dream, and remind ourselves why we do it all, and who we are. And so we did that this week, 2 perfect hours of peace and pause. We confided in each other, dreamed some of the same dreams that always come up over coffee and breakfast, encouraged each other and enjoyed each other’s company.

This is all much easier to do when you have a special place that you love, that provides an atmosphere for just this dreaming and being. For us, this place is Purple Perk, downtown Calgary. There are many great coffee shops in Calgary, and lots of great places to eat. But there is something about Purple Perk that is special to us. It’s where we take our nearest and dearest. It’s where we escape to. Sexy Husband and I have our routine down to a fine art. It’s always full except our one table, waiting for us. We order the exact same thing(he gets this but I eat that of his, I get that but he eats this of mine). The food is delicious, the raspberry scones are like no other, the staff are amazing and know my girls by name. The coffee is absolutely delicious. I don’t know anything about it, which is unlike me, and for whatever reason, I don’t give two figs what sub-region of which sub-equatorial country the beans are from. I just know I love it.

The atmosphere is fun too. There’s always the usual crowd: one table of hipsters with their oversized headphones and Mac’s, one table of suits from the downtown corporate scene, one table of seniors – regulars, business meetings beside lululemon mommies. A little something for everyone!

If you are in Calgary, go check out this happy little place, the heart of Mission on 4th St.

It is a highly valued treasure in my life when I can walk into a coffee shop and am greeted by name and I don’t have to order my drink, it’s just made and made well (2 shot americano in a short cup. We like to call it a Baby Americano). This is one of the many reasons that Caffe Crema is such a lovely treasure, hidden deep in Suburbia. Crema just celebrated it’s first birthday here in Calgary so it’s relatively new. It’s located waaaaay out in Suburbia, close to us and is that local neighborhood coffee shop that actually makes good coffee. Sexy Husband and I are the type to shamelessly drive allllll the way downtown any time we want, just to get a good coffee. I am unapologetic about my need for particularly delicious coffee and great service. Thanks to Caffe Crema, I don’t often have to darken the door of Starbucks (not to offend Starbucks lovers out there. Starbucks will always represent our generation of coffee shop culture and I instantly feel at home in any city when I see one. Just saying…mediocre generic coffee…not my thing.) Here are a few reasons why I heart Caffe Crema:

1. Good Coffee: I don’t care how cute and friendly the coffee shop is. If the coffee is not good, I’m not gonna go. Crema uses beans from Fratello Roasters, local Calgary superstars who roast consciously purchased beans. There is usually a variety of beans AND coffee tastings weekly! They were just voted into the top 5 Calgary Coffee Shops by the Krups Kup of Excellence event!

good coffee

2. Good People: Owners Jeff and Stephanie Halldorsen are so lovely and wonderful. Charissa the Manager and her crew of super friendly and knowledgeable baristas are so so great. They remember names and drinks, they are full of personality and pull consistent shots. I honestly feel like I’m in to visit friends every single time I go.

cute and fun baristas

3. Good Concept: I love the idea of bringing good coffee to the people. Lots of people don’t have the time or motivation to get themselves a cup of great coffee, but really, life is better with quality at your fingertips. It’s a super family friendly atmosphere with a good set up for kids, craft nights, live music events, poetry reading nights. It’s kind of a bustling centre for the community in the deep South West.

vintage book collection for sale

Bottom Line: You should pop by and check them out! They can be your friends too! I can almost always be found there Wednesday mornings with my Sisterhood of the Caffeinated Mommies. You check them out HERE.